The Stone Lab: Initiation

"Digital applications of ancient Armenian stone carving techniques for rural development of Shikahogh" is an innovative action research, with a real time application of a "Stone Lab" in a remote village of Shikahogh in Armenia.

In this research, the Petroglyphic and traditional stone masonry heritage of Khachkars (these are the stone crosses) present the contextual substance, whereas underneath this layer, a deeper and more spiritual metamorphoses of belonging and identity preservations manifest.

 

Shikahogh is a post USSR village where a steady population deterioration is observed.

 

It is also a historic cradle of ancient Khachkars of which no prior study has been made.

The "Stone Lab" will employ a hybrid approach of the experimental archaeology and digital reconstruction to unveil the hidden inscriptions of these Khachkars as well as the functions and technological processes behind their creation.

Thus the "Stone Lab" is the development catalyst, a seed of change its deployment may render very curious outcomes.

 As a crossroad connecting Europe and Asia, Armenia was relentlessly caught between empires, mainly Persian, Ottoman and Russian, in a struggle for its survival and the national identity preservation. This deeply rooted land consciousness bears strong correlation with the stone.  

 

As the cultural rituals, the folklore and historic events were recorded and conserved through the stone inscriptions. So did the language; modern Armenian alphabet derives from the Petroglyphic hieroglyphs (from around 10000BC).

The focus of this research is Shikahogh, a remote rural dwelling in Syunik Province in Armenia. The strategic location of Shikahogh is what makes it significant; as Syunik province in general is a rather fragile region, where both borders with the neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan are shut and are under the surveillance of both the Armenian and the Russian armed forces.

Being rather remote and detached by series of mountains, the village is difficult to reach and hence less progress is made here. The practical component of this research - “The Stone Lab” will attempt to explore the notion of the land preservation through experimental studies of the un-researched Khachkars of Shikahogh.

The vast majority of stones in Armenia are of volcanic origin, tracing back to the seven active and extinct volcanos on the current territory of Armenia.

Since Caucasus region and Armenia in particular is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activities, extrusive igneous rock deposits are abundant in the region.  Armenian highland holds enormous stocks of tuff, which is an easily cut resilient type of stone, that is also the traditional material used for Khachkars.

The concentration of the petroglyphs around these volcanos was due to the abundance of both the tools and the materials used by the early stone artists. These petroglyphs depict the legends and myths of the mountains, along with the sceneries of daily rituals and routine activities of the early tribes and settlements.

From 15ooo BC the petroglyphs have recorded the story of the evolution of the tools and technologies, the craftsmanship and the lifestyle in Armenia and the path that the language has undergone. From the early carved petroglyphs on the cave walls to the 5th century AD Khachkars with inscriptions, the native language was preserved through transformation and due to being embedded in stone.

Khachkar (Armenian - cross stone, a stone that bears a cross, a cross shaped stone etc.) is the unparalleled component of the development of Christianity, education, sciences, arts, crafts and architecture in Armenia since 4th century. The Khachkar, aims to give holiness to an open air. The intentions for erecting a Khachkar have been traditionally very diverse. Sometimes the person who authorizes and support the crafting and the setup of the stone might have a spiritual aim in mind.

The installation of Khachkar had a more formal uses as well, when it was commissioned by the governing bodies of the time. For example upon a completion of a church, bridge or other significant structure, a Khachkar was elevated almost as a record keeping, to “set in stone” the detailed information as to “how, when and why” such building was commenced. The more practical uses of some smaller Khachkars cite socio-economic treaties and even smaller transactions of land, cattle and other similar exchanges between the local folk.

 

As a mediator between humans and God, Khachkar was the differentiating symbol bearing the names of the beneficiaries and their families so that during the “last day of judgement” they can be recognised by God as those worthy of the heavenly adobe. This is similar to the Egyptian sarcophagus in its notion of this after death recognition. However, Khachkar’s power reaches beyond the salvation of a particular benefactor; anyone who shares their gratitude and prayers around it, will be heard and their message will be resonated to God.

 

 

Despite the obvious similarities with petroglyphs, Khachkar reflects the rapid development of the early settlements not only through more complex design solutions but with the added dimensions of socio-political and religious connotations, as well as the pronounced manifestations of individualism.
 

 

The preliminary fieldwork conducted in summer 2013 revealed a great number of Khachkars in Shikahogh, that have not been researched and nothing is known of their origin and purpose. Like most other cross-stones, these too might have had a unique significance in the past; perhaps leading towards discoveries of the village genealogy, of which no recorded evidence survived prior to 18th century. The methods of experimental archaeology and digital reconstruction will be employed to regenerate the Khachkars and decipher the semantics of Khachkar inscriptions.

 

Experimental archaeology is concerned both with the duplication of the artefacts of the prehistoric men as well as with determining the functional capabilities of these artefacts. For both scenarios, the production of copies of prehistoric objects, either studied as replicas in themselves, or tested in some way, is essential. When experimenting with the re-enactment process, only those methods which have been available to prehistoric tribes should be implemented.

 

 

The Shikahogh Khachkars, thus, will be the archaeological source material and various carving techniques, with stone (basalt, obsidian) and old metal tools will be practiced to analyse the creation processes of these artefacts. With Khachkars, the reconstruction will not only revolve around the replication of the old modes of craftsmanship, but also the restoration of the missing or corrupt pieces of the cross-stones. Thus the experimental archaeology will be practiced in tandem with the digital reconstruction.

 

 

Digital reconstruction - At the artefact scale is the 3D modelling that allows the reproduction of accurate digital/physical replicas of every object that can be studied, measured and displayed.  

 

One of the ways of utilising it is the re-generation process, where the original piece is laser scanned; creating a three-dimensional electronic model that could be used by CNC machines. Once the stone is selected, the digital carving process first blocks out, then refines the surface, however the finer details are usually hand carved.

Digital reconstruction can also be used for virtual restoration and conservation purposes. For example the Iraqi Virtual Museum, where the most advanced digital visualization techniques have been applied, was constructed as a targeted intervention for recovery of the Baghdad Museum, intended as a shared treasure (which is closed to public since 1991).

The archaeological 3D modelling is the recreation of the objects by digital means based upon the current state of the salvaged elements integrated with the data coming from historical and archaeological researches using software for developing 3D models.

It creates a virtual benchmark, where the hypothesis is tested and corrected in order to produce a truthful image of something buried by time. It is a solid modelling that not just helps to illustrate, but to analyse.

As time passes, most petroglyph and Khachkar surfaces have weathered and are disappearing. They have been cracked, coloured, eroded and accumulated moss and dirt. Recovering the illegible art on the damaged surfaces is a challenging task and a CG surface imaging methods are utilised for reconstruction, such as: structured lighting, multi-view and image based digitizing.

During my interview with Khachkar artist Varazdat Hambardzumyan, he explained that a vast number of Armenian Khachkars were destroyed, left behind during the 1915 Armenian genocide. His team put together a studio, collecting data such as old photography that will enable them to replicate these lost relics. The digital application methods could vastly accelerate this process.

 A two week trial fieldwork was conducted in the village during August 2013, where I had interviewed the local residents, the governor and the head of the natural preserve.

It was a unique opportunity to immerse into the day to day village life and build a comprehensive understanding of the joys and the impediments of farming, agriculture and local operations routines, as seen from the residents’ perspective.

 

Within the fieldtrip, another few weeks were dedicated to studying the stone carving techniques in Khachkar workshop in Yerevan, where established lines of design and conceptual executions of traditional Khachkar making is still exercised. After the volumetric treatment (the blocking out of the main body and bringing it to some degree of standard geometric shape) the frontal surfaces were chosen for further polishing. And I was fortunate enough to participate in each stage of the design process.

 

 

While attending this practical workshops, I have assisted the artists in creating a documentary film on Khachkar installment, as well as held discussions on their involvement with the Shikahogh “Stone lab”.

 

 

Since Syunik and Shikahogh in particular are difficult to access from the city, it becomes an unattractive prospect for NGOs and investors. During my meetings with few organisations in Armenia, some plainly admitted that the village is simply “too far”.

The most prolific of these organisations is Luys, which is found and subsidised by the President of Armenia. In the past, Luys sponsored my Masters studies and as a Luys scholar I was fortunate enough to present the Stone Lab to them during my trip and receive a verbal agreement on their endorsement for the trial workshop. Within the bigger DAP Develop Armenia Project, stone lab is shortlisted for the Summer 2014.

 

During the fieldwork, I have paid a visit to the Shikahogh “culture house”, once a popular community spot, built during communist era. This building was the heart of the village, the main entertainment spot and the idea is to resurrect the abandoned ghost structure, thus during the summer 2014, a small test workshop will be established in Shikahogh within the DAP format, with the cooperation of the villagers and Khachkar artists, who have agreed to give lectures and master class sessions.

 

During the trial workshop, the concepts of the experimental archaeology and digital reconstruction suggested in this research will be put to test and the results will be recorded.

 

 

The lab will then be left to run on its own until December 2014, where another visit will be paid to check upon the progress, as well as perhaps re-design certain aspects based on the performance and feedback.

 

 

The outcomes of the Stone lab trial are largely impossible to predict: as a catalyst, reiterating the symbolism of the stone masonry tradition it can hugely impact the village lifestyle from practical and spiritual point of view. Here the villagers themselves embark on the search for their origins; allied with Khachkar mentors, they will re-enact the stone carving methods used thousands of years ago, in search for the key to decoding the Khachkars. Once the workshop has been put in motion, the true influence on the village community can be observed and assessed.